This invention generally relates to valves and garments as described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/956,740, filed Oct. 6, 1992, entitled "One-Way Valve" the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Air-tight protective clothing has long been used for protecting workers in contaminated areas, an example of which being U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,680 of Childers et al. issued on Jul. 10, 1984. A major problem encountered with such suits is that disclosed by Childers is that the suit will generally operate satisfactorily when the wearer is standing with arms straight. However, many times the wearer is required by the specific job to bend over or crouch in position in which the air flow to portions of the suit is cut off which will restrict the out flow of air through some of the valves, thereby requiring all of the air entering the suit to be exhausted through only one or two valves. This occurrence can cause excessive ballooning or even rupture of the anti-contamination suit.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a need for a new design for an anti-contamination suit which includes strategic locations of exhaust air valves combined with one-way exhaust valves of construction which can provide adequate exhausting capability and prevent bursting and excessive ballooning of the anti-contamination suit.